Perforating mechanism having pivoted anvil operable upon wadding of work to prevent damage to blades



May 30, 1961 o. BESSERDICH 2,985,053

PERFORATING MECHANISM HAVING 1 PIVOTED ANVIL OPERABLE UPON WADDING OF WORK TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO BLADES Filed Sept. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5414 lHlllll F 'II3 1 o INVENTOR N ORRIN BESSERDIOH 7 ATTORNEY y 1961 o. BESSERDICH 2,986,058

PERFORATING MECHANISM HAVING PIVOTED ANVIL OPERABLE UPON WADDING OF WORK TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO BLADES Filed Sept. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IE 2 INVENTOR ORRIN BESSERDIGH ATTORNEY y 0, 1961 o. BESSERDICH 2,986,058

PERFORATING MECHANISM HAVING PIVOTED ANVIL OPERABLE UPON WADDING OF WORK TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO BLADES Filed Sept. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 171 15s E q 150 INVENTOR ORRIN BESSERDICH ATTO RN EY United States Patent PERFORATING MECHANISM HAVING PIVOTED ANVlL OPERABLE UPON WADDING OF WORK TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO BLADES Orrin Besserdich, Green Bay, Wis., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 763,968

4 Claims. (Cl. 83-34S) This invention pertains to a perforating mechanism, and more particularly relates to a perforating mechanism for use in a rewinding machine to produce spaced transverse lines of perforations in a web of toilet tissue, paper toweling, or similar products.

In the preparation of toilet tissue, paper toweling and like materials for market, a large, mill size roll of the paper is placed on a rewinding machine. The web is unwound therefrom and passes through the machine wherein it is perforated transversely at regular intervals to provide individual sheets, slit longitudinally into individual marketable roll size widths, and then rewound into rolls of marketable diameter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanism for use in a rewinding machine to produce spaced transverse rows of perforations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a perforating mechanism which is capable of producing a line of clean-cut perforations across a web of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for producing a plurality of equally spaced lines of sharp, clean-cut perforations which facilitate the separation of the web material into individual sheets with sharp, clean edges.

, These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a partly broken away plan of the perforating mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side elevation illustrating the gear train associated with the perforating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections taken on lines 55 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 4 to illustrate the relationship between the cutting elements, certain elements beyond the planes of the sections being omitted.

Fig. 7 is a plan of one of the anvils.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The operative components of the perforating mechanism of the present invention receive their support from a pair of side plates 10 and 12 integral with or adapted to be connected to the side plates of a rewinding machine (not shown).

A knife-carrying drum 14 (Figs. 1 and 2) extends transversely between the plates 10 and 12 and is provided at its opposite ends with stub shafts 16 and 18 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings (not shown) provided on the side plates 16 and 12, respectively. The knife-carrying drum 14 is provided at equal intervals about its periphery with notches 28 (Figs. 2, 5 and 6) which are of V-shaped cross section and which extend across the face of the drum 14 in a direction parallel to the axis of the drum. All of the notches 20 are identical and one side 22 of each notch 20 (Figs. 5 and 6) is stepped to provide a proper seating surface 24 and abutment 26 for a plurality of relatively thin knife blades 28 and to provide a relieved space 30 behind the outer portions of the asso- ICC ciated knife blades 28 This permits flexing of the knife blades 28 during operation of the machine. One or more knife clamps 32 fit within each notch 20 and are fastened therein by means of suitable cap screws 34. Preferably each knife clamp 32 covers and clamps a plurality of the knife blades 28 in operative position in the form of the invention illustrated. each clamp 32 is operatively associated with three of the blades 28 extending over them and clamping them against the surface 24 of the stepped side 22 of the notch 20.

The rewinder machine is adapted to receive paper in mill size rolls in the order of 63 wide, and the knife drum 14 is of the same length as or is slightly longer than the width of the paper web to be passed through the machine. The particular embodiment chosen to illustrate the present invention is adapted to convert mill size rolls into toilet tissue rolls each 4%" wide and there are fourteen blades in each notch 20. The length of the individual sheets is controlled by the distance between adjacent lines of perforating defined by the circumferential distance between corresponding parts of adjacent notches 20 on the knife drum 14. Each blade 28 is adapted to engage a width of the parent sheet of paper 4 /2" wide, and the blades are arranged in fourteen circular series 38 each series including one blade in each of the notches 20. All of the blades 28 in one such series 38 is shown in Fig. 2. The several blades 28 in each series are aligned with each other, so that all blades of each series successively engage the full 'width of the as yet undivided strip of paper that is to form a single, marketable size roll of toilet paper.

A first roller 40 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted below the knife drum 14 is provided with stub shafts 42 and 44 (Fig. 1). The stub shaft 44 is mounted in a suitable bearing carried by a bearing block 46 (Fig. 2) which is slidably mounted on two guide members 48- and 50 fixed to the side plate 12 by cap screws 52 and 54, respectively. An adjustment screw 56 is disposed radially with respect to the stub shaft 44 and is threaded through a suitable opening in a web 58 rigid with the plate 12 and through a yoke 60 fixed to the bearing block 46. Two collars 62 and 64 are fixed to the adjustment screw 56, one on either side of the yoke 60. The shaft 42 at the opposite end of the feed roller 40 is similarly mounted on the side plate 10. Thus, when the adjusting screw 56 and the corresponding member associated with the shaft 42 are rotated the roller 40 will be moved toward or away from the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14.

The roller 40 is provided at equal intervals about its periphery with indentations 70 adapted to register with and accommodate the knife blades 28 which project outwardly beyond the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14.

The surface of the roller 40 is covered with a felt cover drum 14. The roller is provided with stub shafts 82' and 84 (Fig. 1). The stub shaft 84 is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing carried by a bearing block 86 (Fig.

2) slidably mounted on guide members 88 and 90 fixed to the side plate 12 by cap screws 92 and 94, respectively.

A yoke assembly 96 is fixed to the side plate 12 and an adjustment screw 98 is threaded through the upper memher 100 of the yoke assembly 96. The adjustment screw 98 is arranged radially with respect to the shaft 84 and projects downwardly through a yoke 102' fixedto' the" W bearing block 86 and a pair of collars 104 and '106 are fixed to the adjustment screw 98, one on either side of the yoke 102. The stub shaft 82 is similarly mounted on the side plate 18. Thus, when theadjustment screw and Patented May 30, 1961.

the corresponding adjustment screw associated with the stub shaft 82 are rotated the roller 80 is moved toward or away from the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14. The roller 80 is also provided with indentations 110 adapted to accommodate the knives 28 carried by the knife-carrying drum 14 and is also covered with a felt covering 112.

The stub shafts 16, 42 and 82 associated with the knife carrying drum 14, the lower roller 40, and the upper roller 80, respectively, extend through suitable openings (not shown) in the side plate and are interconnected by timing gears 120, 122 and 124 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. The respective sizes of the gears 120, 122 and 124 are so chosen that the peripheral velocities of the drum 14 and the rollers 40 and 80 are equal. The stub shaft 18 associated with the opposite end of the knifecarrying drum 14 extends through a suitable opening in the side plate 12 and is adapted to receive a gear or sprocket (not shown) driven by the main machine drive so that the perforating mechanism of the present invention operates in proper timed relation with the other portions of the rewinder machine with which it is associated.

An anvil assembly 150 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) extends transversely between and is mounted on the side plates 10 and 12 for horizontal adjustment toward and away from the knife-carrying drum 14. The anvil assembly comprises a beam 152 and two mounting brackets 154 fixed adjacent the opposite ends of the beam 152 and projecting inwardly therefrom. Each mounting bracket 154 is provided with parallel upper and lower surfaces 156 and 157, respectively, which slidably engage corresponding surfaces of grooves 158 milled in the side plates 10 and 12, respectively. The inner end of each bracket 154 is provided with a sloping surface 160 (Fig. 2) which abuts against a complementarily sloped surface 162 on a wedge member 164. Each wedge 1-64 is Vertically slidable within a milled groove 166 formed in the associated side plate 10 or 12. A bracket 168 is fixed to the inner surface of each side plate 10, 12 by a pair of cap screws 170 and extends across the upper portion of the associated vertical groove 166. A threaded adjustment screw 171 is threaded into a tapped opening in the upper end of each wedge 164 and extends upwardly through a clearance hole (not shown) in the associated bracket 168. A pair of collars 172 and 174 are fixed to each adjustment screw 171, one above and one below the associated bracket 168, whereby, when the adjustment screw 171 is rotated, the screw is prevented from moving axially, so that the wedge 164 is raised or lowered to control the spacing of the associated end of the anvil assembly 150 relative to the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14. The anvil assembly 150 can be locked in its adjusted position relative to the knifecarrying drum 14 by cap screws 180 (Fig. l) which extend through suitable elongated slots 184 (Fig. 2) in the brackets 154 and are threaded into the side plates 10 and 12, respectively.

An anvil carrying shaft 190 extends between the two brackets 1'54 and is rigidly fixed within suitable bores (not shown) therein. Shaft supporting webs 192 (Figs. 1 and 4) are fixed to the beam 152 and support the shaft 190 at spaced points intermediate its ends to prevent deflection of the shaft 190 while the machine is operating.

A plurality of bell crank shaped anvil carriers 200 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 190, one for each series 38 of knife blades 28. Each of the carriers 200 comprises a central hub 202 rotatably mounted on the shaft 190 and an arm 204 projecting from the hub 202 toward the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14 and provided with a shoulder 206 against which an anvil 208 is adapted to be clamped by suitable screws 210. The other arm 212 of each carrier 200 extends generally downwardly from the associated hub 202.

The carriers 200 are all substantially alike with the exception that the carriers adjacent the webs 192 have portions of their central hubs 202 cut away in order to provide clearance for the webs 192 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. Another difference between the several carriers 200 is that the shoulders 206 against which the anvils 208 are clamped are offset different distances from the horizontal plane that includes the axis of the shaft in the manner best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 so that the anvils 208 are not simultaneously contacted by all of the knife blades 28 common to a single groove 20. Fig. 4 further shows that the shoulders 206 are inclined with respect to the axis of the shaft 190 so that a progressing shear action is effected between each knife blade 28 and its associated anvil 208.

The structure of the anvils 208 is best illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. Each of the anvils 208 is a substantially rectangular piece of hardened metal, one edge thereof being ground to substantially V-shape terminating in a sharp slightly concave cutting edge 220. A plurality of notches 222 are provided in the end of the anvil 208 and interrupt the cutting edge 220 to provide areas at which no cutting action will be effected, with the result that each knife cuts a series of perforations separated by uncut webs of material, in accordance with standard practice. Suitable slots 224 are provided in the opposite edge of the blade 208 to accommodate the previously mentioned clamping screws 210.

The arm 204 of each of the carriers 200 is provided with a pair of bosses 230 (Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6) which pro ject toward the beam 152 hereinabove described. A pair of springs 232 are confined between the bosses 230 and the ends of compression adjusting studs 234 which are threaded through tapped openings in the beam 152. Nuts 236 are threaded onto the adjusting studs 234 and are adapted to be tightened against the beam 152 to lock the adjusting studs 234 in their adjusted positions. The resilient force urging the arm 204 toward the surface of the drum 14 is thereby adjusted with respect to the flexibility of the knife blades 24 to permit the knife blades to ex to effect the proper cutting relationship between the knife and anvil while operating on material sized within the limits of proper adjustment of the knife with respect to the anvil and to permit the anvil to yield away from the knife prior to excessive knife flexure upon presentation of material between the knife and anvil of a size outside said limits of adjustment, whereby the yielding of the anvil prevents rupture of the elements during operation of the perforating machine.

A stop button 238 is fixed to the opposite arm 212 of each carrier 200 and is adapted to abut an adjustable stop screw 240' threaded through a tapped opening in the beam 152. The position of each of the anvils relative to the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14 can be adjusted by the proper positioning of the associated stop screw 240, the associated carrier 200 being rotated about the axis of the shaft 190 by the action of the two compression springs 232 associated therewith to effect the proper relationship between the anvil 208 and the knife blades 28.

In order to provide clearance between the anvils 208 and the blades 28 to permit initial threading of the web W (Fig. 2) through the mechanism, or to permit clearing in the event that a jam occurs, a plurality of airoperated cylinders 241 (Fig. 2) are fixed to the bottom of the beam 152, and the plungers 242 thereof are adapted to strike the arms 212 adjacent the lower ends thereof and to rotate the arms counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 when air pressure is admitted to the cylinders 241 from suitable conduits 244, each of which is connected to a manifold 246. One of these air cylinders 241 is provided for each of the carriers 200.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that a web of material W enters between the roller 40 and the knife-carrying drum 14 and is carried along with the surface of the knife-carrying drum 14 past the anvils 208. Since the web travels with the knives 28 at the same speed as the knives 28, as the web and knives 28 pass the anvils 208, the several knives 28 of each series 38 form straight,

spaced apart lines of perforations across each as yet undivided part or strip of the web of material that is to constitute one of the ultimate, marketable rolls of paper. Each of these lines of perforation is perpendicular to the width of the strip of material even though the anvils are inclined and staggered with respect to each other. The web, having been perforated, travels between the drive roller 80 and the knife-carrying drum 14 and is further processed by the rewinder machine either by being slit longitudinally and rewound into rolls of marketable diameter, or -by first being rewound into logs of paper whose diameter is equal to that of the desired ultimate rolls, which logs are then cut to form the individual, standard size rolls.

While a preferred embodimment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, the invention is not limited to said embodiment and various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A perforating mechanism comprising, a rotatably mounted drum, a relatively thin flexible knife mounted upon said drum with the cutting edge of the knife protruding beyond the surface of the drum, said drum being relieved behind the knife to permit flexure of the knife during operation of the machine and the knife being inclined rearwardly toward its cutting edge with respect to the direction of rotation of the drum and with respect to a radial line drawn from the base of the knife to the axis of the drum, an anvil-carrying shaft mounted adjacent said drum with its axis parallel to the drum axis, a bell crank-shaped anvil carrier mounted on said shaft for pivotal movement about the axis of said shaft, said anvil carrier having an anvil-carrying arm extending substantially tangentially toward the surface of the knifecarrying drum in the direction of rotation of the drum and another arm extending away from said drum surface, said anvil-carrying arm having a portion of its side face toward the drum cut away to provide a shoulder, an anvil clamped against said shoulder and providing a cutting edge extending toward the drum surface for engagement with the cutting edge of the knife, resilient means acting upon the anvil-carrying arm in a direction urging said anvil-carrying arm toward the drum surface, adjustable stop means acting upon the other arm of said anvil carrier so as to limit the movement of the anvil-carrying arm toward the drum, the resilient means and adjustable stop means being adapted for selective positioning of the cutting edge of the anvil with respect to the cutting edge of the knife, the strength of the resilient means being suflicient to maintain the anvil in cutting engagement with the knife and the flexibility of the 'knife and the strength of the resilient means urging the anvil toward the knife being so related as to permit the knife to fleX to effect the proper cutting relationship between the knife and anvil while operating on material sized within the limits of proper adjustment of the knife with respect to the anvil and to permit the anvil to yield away from the knife prior to excessive knife flexure upon presentation of material between the knife and anvil of a size outside said limits of adjustment, whereby the yielding of the anvil prevents rupture of the elements during operation of the perforating machine.

2. The perforating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of knives are carried by said drum and a plurality of anvil carriers for respective cooperation with said knives are mounted on said shaft for independent pivotal movement toward and away from the drum surface, and wherein said anvil carriers are provided with anvils inclined with respect to the axis of the drum to effect progressive shearing engagement with the knives carried by the drum.

3. The perforating mechanism defined in claim 2 wherein the anvils are provided with a plurality of notches to leave uncut webs at intervals along the cuts made by the knives and anvils.

4. The perforating mechanism defined in claim 2 wherein the anvils are offset different distances on the respective anvil-carrying arms from the axis of pivotal movement whereby the anvils are staggered circumferentially of the drum so that all of the anvils will not be contacted by the 'knives at the same time.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,372,020 Sandberg Mar. 20, 1945 2,782,853 Heffelfinger Feb. 26, 1957 2,870,840 Kwitek Jan. 27, 1959 

